This invention relates to a connector to which a module such as a memory module and a camera module is fitted.
FIGS. 4A to 4C show a first related-art camera module 1 to be mounted on a cellular mobile phone or the like, and this camera module 1 comprises a module body 2, and a lens portion 3 formed on an upper side of the module body 2. Two (left and right) rows of contact pads 4 and 5 are formed on a bottom face of the module body 2.
FIGS. 5A to 5D show a related-art connector 6 to which the camera module 1 is fitted. The connector 6 is formed into a square box-like body having an upwardly-open chamber 6a. Two (left and right) rows of parallel grooves 7 and 8 are formed in an upper face of a bottom 6b of the chamber 6a, so that the left grooves 7 extend from a central portion of the bottom 6b to an inner left side wall of the chamber 6a, and the right grooves 8 extend from the central portion of the bottom 6b to an inner right side wall of the chamber 6a. A row of left contact pins 9 are provided in the left grooves 7, respectively, while a row of right contact pins 10 are provided in the right grooves 8, respectively.
As shown in FIG. 5D, an inner end portion of each of the left row of contact pins 9 is bent upwardly to project from an associated groove 7 to form a contact projection 9a for contact with an associated contact pad 4 of the camera module 1. Each contact pin 9 extends left, and passes through the connector 6 to project to the exterior, and an outer end portion of the contact pin 9 is bent to form a terminal 9b for contact with a wiring board (not shown) on which the connector 6 is mounted.
Similarly, an inner end portion of each of the right row of contact pins 10 is bent upwardly to project from an associated groove 8 to form a contact projection 10a for contact with an associated contact pad 5 of the camera module 1. Each contact pin 10 extends right, and passes through the connector 6 to project to the exterior, and an outer end portion of the contact pin 10 is bent to form a terminal 10b for contact with the wiring board.
When the contact projections 9a and 10a of the contact pins 9 and 10 are pressed down respectively by the contact pads 4 and 5 of the camera module 1 from the upper side, the contact pins 9 and 10 are bent as indicated in phantom lines in FIG. 5D, so that the distal ends (inner ends) of the contact pins 9 and 10 abut against the bottom of the grooves 7 and 8. The contact pins 9 and 10 are accordingly held in firm press-contact respectively with the contact pads 4 and 5 because of reaction forces of these contact pins.
When the camera module 1 is inserted into the chamber 6a of the connector 6 from the upper side of this connector 6, the contact pads 4 and 5 of the camera module 1 are press-contacted respectively with the contact projections 9a and 10a of the connector pins 9 and 10 of the connector 6, as shown in FIG. 6.
Signals of the camera module 1 are transmitted to the contact pins 9 and 10 via the contact pads 4 and 5 and the contact projections 9a and 10a, and further are transmitted to a circuit (not shown) of the wiring board via the terminals 9b and 10b. 
FIGS. 7A to 7D show a second related-art camera module 11. This camera module 11 comprises a module body 12, and a lens portion 13 formed on an upper side of the module body 12. A projection 14 is extended horizontally from one side face of the module body 12. A plurality of parallel contacts 15 are provided on an upper face of the projection 14, while a plurality of parallel contacts 16 are provided on a lower face of the projection 14.
FIGS. 8A to 8D show a connector 17 to which the camera module 11 is attached. This connector 17 is formed into a box-like body having an open chamber 17a. A central portion of a left half portion of the upper side of this connector is open, and a row of upper contact pins 18 and a row of lower contact pins 19 for gripping the contact portions 15 and 16 (provided on the projection 14 of the module body 12) are provided at an inner bottom portion of the connector 17 disposed on the right side of the chamber 17a. An inner end portion of each of the contact pins 18, disposed near to the central portion of the connector 17, is bent to form a contact projection 18a for contact with the associated contact portion 15 of the module body 12, and an inner end portion of each of the contact pins 19, disposed near to the central portion of the connector 17, is bent to form a contact projection 19a for contact with the associated contact portion 16 of the module body 12. The contact pins 18 and 19 extend so as to pass through the connector 17 to project to the exterior, so that an outer end portion of each contact pin 18 is bent to form a terminal portion 18b for contact with a wiring board (not shown) on which the connector 17 is mounted, and an outer end portion of each contact pin 19 is bent to form a terminal portion 19b for contact with the wiring board.
When the camera module 11 is inserted into the chamber 17a of the connector 17 through the left side opening thereof, the projection 14 of the camera module 11 is held between the contact pins 18 and the contact pins 19 in such a manner that the contact portions 15 and 16 are held in press-contact with the contact projections 18a and 19a of the contact pins 18 and 19, respectively. Thus, the camera module 11 is attached to the connector 17 as shown in FIG. 9.
However, when the camera module 1 is attached to the connector 6 as shown in FIG. 6, the bottom face of the camera module 1 is spaced a predetermined distance from the wiring board since the contact pins 9 and 10 and the bottom wall 6b of the connector 6 exist between the bottom face of the camera module 1 and the wiring board. With this construction, the connector 6 has an increased height H1, and also an overall height H2, obtained when attaching the camera module 1 to the connector 6, is increased, and these are causes of the failure to achieve a thinner design of the connector 6 and a thinner design of the structure obtained by attaching the camera module 1 to the connector 6.
When the camera module 11 is attached to the connector 17 as shown in FIG. 9, a height H3 of the connector 17 is hardly increased, and also an overall height H4, obtained when attaching the camera module 11 to the connector 17, is hardly increased, and therefore a thinner design can be achieved. However, the camera module 11 has the projection 14 formed on the side face thereof, and therefore a width L1 of the camera module 11 is increased, and also the connector 17 has an increased width L2 since the connector 17 includes the portion for receiving the body portion 12 of the camera module 11 and the portion for contact with the projection 14. And besides, a width of the overall structure, obtained by attaching the camera module 11 to the connector 17, has the dimension L2. Therefore, there is encountered a problem that a space-saving design can not be achieved.